Tristram Hunt MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, responding to Michael Gove’s latest admission that his Free Schools policy is failing, said:

“This marks the latest admission from Michael Gove that his schools policy is failing.

"The Government’s aggressive free-market education strategy has not delivered the improvements we need. Michael Gove is at last starting to consider following the Labour Party’s lead - we have been clear that the Secretary of State cannot run thousands of schools from Whitehall.

"But these plans will fall far short of what is needed. For high standards in all schools we need real local accountability and oversight.

"These plans would not have prevented the failure we saw at Al-Madinah Free School.

"Under Michael Gove, for many schools it’s too little too late, the damage has been done and he has spent three years refusing to do anything about it.”